Heart of Eden The News Magazine of the ‘Heart of Eden Benefice St. Lawrence, Appleby and St. John, Murton-cum-Hilton; St. James, Ormside; St. Peter, Great Asby; St. Cuthbert, Dufton; St. Margaret & St. James, Long Marton; St. Cuthbert, Milburn; St. Columba, Warcop and St. Theobald, Musgrave; St. James, Temple Sowerby; St. Michael, Kirkby Thore & St. Edmund Newbiggin. Also with additional information from Methodist Churches at The Sands, Appleby, Great Asby, Warcop and Dufton with Knock The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Appleby We also bring information from the council, local voluntary organisations, clubs and associations, buses and trains, events at the villages of the Mid-Eden Valley, and we are partly supported by the firms whose advertisements follow the news items. May 2020 I write in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, the like of which we have not seen since the threat of invasion in World War II. The profound effects of the crisis on every aspect of our lives, our communities, our jobs, our schools and our families create anxiety and uncertainty. It feels like a very dark time for everyone. Yet, if we look around there are signs of light and hope in the darkness - the volunteers who are reaching out to help the vulnerable, the selfless dedication of the NHS and all our essential workers, the resilience and creativity of communities. All these are real consolations to us all right now. The church buildings may be closed to keep everyone safe, but the Church is still open and finding new ways to reach out to everyone. If you search “Heart of Westmorland” on Youtube, there is an online Sunday service every Sunday. Your church leaders do not stop praying for everyone just because we cannot leave our homes. In these dark times, when it has not been possible to recall the death and resurrection of Christ in our church buildings at Easter time, we have the opportunity at home, of discovering how what we are now experiencing may contribute to our own ongoing journey as God’s people. The homes to which we are primarily confined offer us a place in which our faith can be discovered afresh, where we can find ‘the Church within’. So here’s a thought. ‘Non churchy prayer’: For many, prayer is usually something done in church and led by someone at the front using special words and phrases. But that is not happening at the moment and we can pray anywhere and everywhere, talking to God as we would talk to our most intimate friend. So let’s do that - talk to God. Say thank you for any good thing you can think of - for the Tesco man who brought your groceries, for recovery from illness, for our fantastic NHS and essential workers who serve their communities with great courage. Even in these times we can say thank you. We can ask God for things too, most of all for an end to this global pandemic and to strengthen the sick and all who are working so hard to beat the virus. If you have had a child baptised in the last 18 months (and quite a few people in the parishes have!), you may have been given a book for all the family about how to pray the Lord’s Prayer and what prayer means – get it out and read all together! Now is the time! God save and deliver everyone. Rev. Peter Boyles Graveside Burials. There will likely be memorial services for some of these at a later date when circumstances permit. 9th April Janet Fielden Carlisle Crematorium 14th April Ann McNeil Orr St. Columba’s, Warcop, at Warcop Cemetery 1st May Brenda Ann Payne St. Cuthbert’s Dufton 1st May Richard (Dick) Cunningham Wharton St. Lawrence’s Appleby, at Appleby Cemetery 4th May Jessie Pearl Allan St. Cuthbert’s Dufton 5th May William (Bill) Sowerby St. Peter’s, Great Asby, at Asby Cemetery Church of England: Rector: Rev. Dr. Clive Hicks ��017682.54409 Associate Priest: Revd Peter Boyles ��017683.54161 Retired Priest: Rev. Roger Collinson ��017683.52886 For (C of E) wedding bookings contact Joyce Keetley, Office Manager, email: [email protected] and for baptism bookings contact the Revd Peter Boyles email: [email protected] Methodist Minister: The Revd Andrew Sterling: Tel: 017683 51244 Our Lady of Appleby Church: Roman Catholic Parish Priest: Fr Peter Houghton Tel: 017683 51474 Electronic copy by email is preferred - to <[email protected]> - often we are quite busy and don’t have time to reply. Please identify the content in the email subject line and in the name of each attachment (don’t just call it “Heart of Eden” - unsurprisingly everyone else does that!). Written copy, please leave in letter tray marked ‘Heart of Eden Editor’ in St Lawrence’s Church, on top of the book-shelf on your left as you go in. It will be emptied for the last time at noon on the 13th of the month. Adverts Please contact the Advertising Manager, John D Tillotson, 3, Barrowmoor Road, Appleby-in-Westmorland, CA16 6SB. Phone 07710 512 806. Email: [email protected], with copy to [email protected] (in case the advertising manager is away) - Deadline date as above. New or changed copy for already-arranged adverts should be sent to the editor as above. It would help if you could please send any payments for advertising in envelopes clearly marked ‘Advertising Manager’. Prices on application for commercial advertisements - payment in advance please. Small Private advertisements: we will only accept adverts suitable for a Church Magazine, and adverts will cost £5 for up to 40 words. Please write your advert (in block capitals) on a piece of paper, with your address, and leave it in the Heart of Eden tray near the main church door of St. Lawrence’s. Put an envelope, with a £5 note in it, and marked ‘HoE Small Ad’ and something to identify the advertisement, in the safe. The safe is straight ahead of you as you enter the church.To be included in a particular edition of the newsletter, please do this before noon on the 13th as with other items” n.b. please make cheques payable to “PCC of Appleby” We are very grateful for the very generous donations made by various groups and individuals towards the running costs of this Newsletter. We would welcome articles (and front cover photographs - the editor gets desperate for something new) relevant to the time of year, book reviews, travel articles, etc. Please send them to the editor.The bundles of copies of this Newsletter are taken round to the distributors by Jan and Alan Meakin. They can be contacted on 52407. Bishop Emma also reflects on the support being offered to front Seeking Newsletter Delivery Help line NHS and public sector staff reflecting: “We have certainly The Newsletter is brought to your house by one of our seen an increase in neighbourliness, I think, and in different ways wonderful band of delivery volunteers – we have nearly 40 of connecting with each other. And we’ve seen an increase in of these. As with any task, as time goes on some of these appreciation for those on the frontline of our public services and wish to hand on their task to others: if you think you could our health care systems. help as a deliverer please contact our Delivery Coordinators, “Wouldn’t it be good if some of this love, and appreciation and Jan and Alan Meakin on 52407. good will continued after these dark days are over? What kind of people will we be in Cumbria when we emerge?” She also likens the darkness of Christ’s three days in the tomb, News from the Diocese with the darkness we currently face as a country, adding: “For now it does feel very much like we are in a dark place under the First, a prayer: earth and the suffering of many is very real. But this Easter let’s Loving God, as your Son healed the sick not lose sight of the hope that we have in the good news that And brought good news to the needy Jesus Christ has defeated death; that He lived and died and rose Be with us this day. again, bringing out of darkness and suffering, peace and joy and Loving Jesus as you taught us to life and hope. I hope you have a very happy Easter!” ‘Do unto others as you would have them do to you’ A full transcript of Bishop Emma’s Easter message follows: Be with all the medical staff this day. “Here I am in my garden. Like all of us I’ve seen a bit more of it Loving spirit, your gift is healing, over these past couple of weeks than I might otherwise have done. Bring your healing fire to our homes, our hospitals and our county, Seemingly unaware of the crisis that’s befallen that rest of our But most of all, be with us this day. Amen normal life, all over shoots are springing up out of the earth, Bishop James said: bringing with them the promise of new life and growth. Here in my “As we face this Coronavirus pandemic together, so our church greenhouse I’ve planted a load of beans about ten days ago but communities must be seen to be doing all they can to help battle they haven’t begun to sprout yet. Even now though I have faith the virus.